CR in development

Construction training

Involvement in training initiatives helps ensure that contractors have access to an appropriately skilled workforce on our developments. The National Skills Academy for Construction was launched at our Bishopsgate development in the City of London in 2006.

The Academy for Construction involves mobile training centres on construction sites rather than traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ colleges. It is a partnership between ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the construction industry, training providers and employers including British Land. It is part of a Department for Education and Skills initiative to improve the standard of industry training and tackle skills shortages across the UK.

The launch at Bishopsgate was attended by Secretary of State for Education and Skills, Alan Johnson, and Skills Minister, Phil Hope. The Bishopsgate site is a £292 million development comprising modern office space and a public shopping area. This is the first construction site to benefit from an Academy for Construction. The Bishopsgate Academy involves Bovis Lend Lease, British Land, the Learning and Skills Council, the London Development Agency, Job Centre Plus, ConstructionSkills and the City of London. 1,000 people will gain experience of construction through the Bishopsgate Academy over the next two years.

Construction training

“The partnership between ConstructionSkills, Bovis Lend Lease and British Land sets a precedent for future Academy sites. 201 Bishopsgate and The Broadgate Tower showcase all that is good about skills training in the construction industry ... The Bishopsgate site has set the bar high for all future Skills Academies. I am encouraged that over the coming years, as more Academy sites come to fruition, we now have very strong foundations on which to build.”
Sir Michael Latham, Chairman, Sector Skills Council for the construction industry.